1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to content data recording apparatus and method for recording content data such as audio and video data using a nonvolatile memory, for example.
2. Description of the Related Art
A content data recording apparatus such as digital camera and video camera acquires content data such as video and audio data, and then, records the content data in a storage unit. A flash memory has come to wide use because it has a large capacity and is obtained at a low price.
The content data recording apparatus has the following problem. Specifically, when content data is recorded, a write error may occur. In this case, input data sequentially changes; for this reason, the content data when an error occurs is lost. In general, the content data recording apparatus performs the following operation to prevent data loss when an error occurs. Specifically, error detection is made when data is written to a flash memory. If an error is detected, the data is again written to the flash memory.
However, even if the error is not detected in a write operation, there may be a case where data can not be read correctly in fact from the flash memory in a read operation due to a property of the flash memory. Considering the foregoing circumstances, a conventional content data recording apparatus needs to perform the following operation. Namely, the user recognizes recording data by making the chase reproduction during data recording or by reproducing the data after recorded, and thereafter, must detect an error.
According to a conventional error detection method, if the same input signal is again obtained, rewrite is possible; therefore, the lost data can be compensated for. However, if the same Input signal is not again obtained, for example, rewrite is impossible during collection of information in news. Thus, it is impossible to compensate for the data loss.
A method for effectively using of a memory area of the flash-type electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM) has been proposed (e.g., see Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI publication No. H6-131895). In this proposal, error correction data required for error correction is written to a redundancy area of a flash-type EEPROM.